Wavering Emotions
by ciocco
Summary: When Touya loses the battle of Truth and Ideals, Team Plasma takes over, and N is king of Unova. But not for long. N's pursuit of the truth leads him to realise Ghetsis' evils and where the happiness of Pokemon truly lie. Now he must come to terms with the truth of his past, and fight Team Plasma for the sake of the future.
1. Prologue 1: Execution

Warnings: Mild language and violence, based on various sources including the manga and anime, will have spoilers from BW, possibly BW2

* * *

**Prologue 1: Execution**

The screen flickered, turning into colourless static. A brown-haired boy flicked through the channels, only to find that the result was the same. Touya sighed. It wasn't the first time that that old TV had decided to act up. He felt restless with all the pent-up energy inside him that was not directed to battling and training his Pokémon. They were gone now, supposedly to a much better place without their trainers, but there was no way to know for sure how they were actually doing. His heart tugged as he thought of his Samurott and the rest of his team. It still felt unusual to be without them.

"N… Team Plasma… really won, didn't they?" It wasn't the first time that this question was asked, but Cheren and Bianca did not blame him for voicing his thoughts.

Only a few weeks ago did N win, taking away all of his hopes and dreams of competing in the League and becoming the champion. It was a swift victory for Team Plasma, and was good planning on N's part. Or Ghetsis'. Whoever it proved to be.

A region-wide broadcast was shown about the battle of Truth and Ideals and Touya's defeat, causing disbelief amongst stronger trainers, who just prepared to battle. The others faltered and released their Pokémon willingly. To most of the younger ones, even the thought of a legendary dragon was too overwhelming, and their resolves had not yet strengthened through their short journeys. At any rate, the use of Pokeballs was disabled by a mysterious device, which prevented trainers from fighting back, even if they had chosen to do so. The grunts under the sages used handheld devices to ascertain the presence of a trainer's Pokemon within a Pokeball, and systematically checked them with their files and trainer ID.

Of course, Plasma's new approach with cautiousness didn't end there. Ghetsis had personally come to collect his Pokémon. That man unnerved him, but despite his misgivings there was nothing Touya could do. Ghetsis had spoken condescendingly towards him, as he always had, but his final words towards him sent a chill up his spine.

_"This is the end. I win."_

Touya was snapped out of his reverie as the lifeless monitors of his television changed into the now-familiar P and Z of Team Plasma's logo.

"A broadcast?" Bianca asked worriedly. The previous broadcast had begun without any delay or static. It wasn't surprising that she was not expecting it.

"Now?" Cheren raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

'This is not going to be good,' Touya thought.

Unfortunately, he was right.

* * *

Ghetsis stood at the head of the throne room, features impassive as he placed his hands on his sceptre. The film camera that was angled towards him did not faze him. Instead, it made him seem more imposing and collected then ever before. Lines of Team Plasma members flanked both sides of the large hall. He raised his hand, eyeing the camera before him, ready to address the public with a strong speech.

"People of Unova," he began, "we have now been united in liberating our Pokemon and creating a separate world where they can live without the interference of foolish humans."

Ghetsis' voice suddenly began to tremble with anger. "However, rebel factions have attempted to fight us every step of the way, until the final, decisive battle of truth and ideals. There, King N won, proving the verity of his assertions, and the righteousness of his truth."

His mouth returned itself into its ever-present frown. "But we did not leave the battle unscathed," he stated. "N's mind has been thoroughly tainted by the voices of hideous demons, and has let his mind consider the very idea of allowing impure humans to visit the Pokémon, and let them suffer once again."

Ghetsis made a show of clenching his fist. 'The nefarious N is no longer fit to be the king of Team Plasma," he nearly snarled, voice rising. "He has betrayed my – no, Team Plasma's cause, and he will be shown no mercy!" He breathed deeply, seeming like an attempt to quell his emotions. "Today," he announced, "the traitor will be executed!"

His cry was met with significant approval from those in the room as he raised his sceptre, listening to their cheers.

"Let this be a lesson to all of you – the citizens of Unova! All who oppose us and threaten the peace will be punished!" Ghetsis shouted.

"Plasmaaaa!" the grunts yelled out in response. They were currently clad in black material in the form of a jumpsuit, hat and vest, seemingly for the purpose of practicality, the only resemblance to their former uniforms being the logo.

Ghetsis gestured to the two grunts closest to him. "Bring him in."

The grunts exited the room with a quick bow, their ginger hair covering their faces as they lowered their heads. They soon returned with a young man covered by a long white cloak, which just as easily could have been any other regular teenager, but for his messy tea-green coloured hair tied in a ponytail.

If not for them supporting his weight as he entered the room, his limp and battered body would have given up to its innate desire to simply collapse onto the ground, not enduring the short walk. His arms and legs beneath the cloak were currently restrained, but even if he had thought to escape he would not have been able to go anywhere alone.

N sagged under Ghetsis' intense gaze as the grunts brought him to kneel before the man in question.

"From this day forth, I will be the leader of Team Plasma. I will not waver in my determination and will not be swept away by liars." Ghetsis proclaimed.

The shout of "Plasma!" again came from a chorus of cries.

N struggled against the restraints, but was too weak to have any impact. "So you planned this all from the very beginning…" he murmured. He had placed blind faith into Ghetsis, despite his misgivings about humans, and had assumed that someone who fought for the same cause as he did had to be good. It seemed that he could not have been more wrong.

"No matter what…" N stated, "no one will surrender ourselves for you to control!" He never raised his voice, but this was as close as he had come, something that was significant only to those who knew him.

The grunts dutifully stepped aside as Ghetsis drew closer to his foster son, forcefully lifting his chin and digging his fingers into the already visible bruises on N's neck. N refused to show any sign of pain in his expression, but Ghetsis knew. "My dear boy…" Ghetsis whispered, looking deep into N's defiant eyes. "Could it be that you've forgotten?" he taunted. "All of Unova is your enemy, and even if they weren't, no one has any means to fight us. You made sure of that."

Again, Ghetsis found himself staring at N's expression, looking to see the hint of something broken inside him. And yet, what was apparent was the fire still blazing within his eyes.

Annoyed, Ghetsis hissed, "Even if you choose not to believe it," he smiled menacingly, "It's 'Game Over', N."

He turned, and with a snap of his fingers, a grunt passed him the golden ceremonial sword. It shone with an almost magical brilliance in the sunshine, too beautiful for the purpose for which it was created. Ghetsis weighed it in his hand, getting a feel for the blade. Today, he would be the executioner.

Knowing that he had to say something, N spoke softly, in an attempt to address the crowd beyond that room. He spoke with a genuine sense of sorrow, and although not with the same strength that Ghetsis used to convince, his words had just as much impact. N was strangely calm, especially amongst the high tensions currently within the room.

"People of Unova…" he began musing, "I am sorry for what occurred. I was wrong. You were right… about everything. It seems there were far more good trainers than I thought, than I ever opened my eyes to… The Pokémon truly do love you. There is no doubt that it is your right to see them…" N continued, "I can't apologise enough… for the current state of the region; for what it has become. I have not seen the outside world properly with my own eyes… but I hope that you will keep fighting to make it a better place than it is now."

Ghetsis raised the blade high as he had held the golden crown on the day of N's crowning ceremony, and the people within the room fell into complete silence. After this moment, everything would be brought to a close in the way it had begun.

N closed his eyes in a quick reminiscence, briefly realising it that it could be interpreted as a sign of weakness, but even with the lack of fear, it seemed natural.

He reopened his eyes. "This is the end for me, but there are still infinite possibilities for those of you out there… Dream your dream… Make them come true!"

"Goodbye!" N attempted a smile. He did not completely trust in the goodness of the people still out there, but at this moment, he needed to bet on them and the kind words of their Pokémon.

The blade arced through the air, ready to make the fatal incision.

**Prologue 1 - End**

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**Author's Note:** This is the start of my first fanfiction... What do you think? I've actually never written any story, fanfiction or not, over 1000 words, so I'm quite happy that just the first part of the prologue could last for more than that. Anyway, any comments or advice would be very helpful, so I'd love it if you took the time to review.


	2. Prologue 2: Escape

**Prologue 2 – Escape**

"Idiot!" Touya slammed his fist on the coffee table before him, expressing his frustration. He was not by any means a loud or short-tempered person, but this was too much.

How could N be smiling like that? At a time like this! Tears threatened to fall as the anger subsided, giving way to a sense of horror as the blade inched closer. Touya stood up, struggling as Cheren held onto him to keep him from running out the door.

"You know that you can't do anything in this situation, don't you?" Cheren's blunt statement, if anything, only made things worse.

"I know that, okay? Let me go already!"

"T-Touya, calm down." Bianca frantically looked left and right, unsure of what to do.

"He's going to die…" Touya whispered to himself, his voice failing.

Suddenly, the broadcast cut itself off, and static returned to the screen in front of them.

* * *

N waited for the pain from the sharp blade as it sliced through his flesh, but it never came. Instead, a pounding boom ripped at the tense air, and there was a smack as something flew across the room. He slowly turned and his eyes widened slightly as shattered plaster rained down from the ceiling, and the dust slowly cleared.

Standing before him was the majestic white form of a legendary Pokemon. Glancing at him, Reshiram posed the question, 'Are you alright?' in its bellowing roar, but it answered its own question. '…No, I can see that you are not.'

'What are you doing here?" N asked, his surprise showing as much as his vaguely expressionless face would allow.

'As long as you fight for the truth, I will remain by your side. I have no desire to see you die.' Reshiram replied matter-of-factly.

Ghetsis, sprawled out on the far side of the room, climbed to his feet and collected the sword that had clattered across from him. "How?" he asked himself, staring in disbelief.

'You,' Reshiram roared, 'have been mistreating Pokemon and using them with evil intent. You will pay for your actions!' It was the role of the legendary Pokemon to intervene when humans were hurting them. Years of experience from following his chosen heroes and heroines had allowed him to recognise the people who harboured ill intentions. As long as these people existed, Pokemon would always be abused.

Recovering from his momentary shock, Ghetsis spat out, "Hydreigon!" The three-headed dragon emerged in a flash of red light.

The doors to the throne room burst open at that moment. "Lord N!" A man with a white beard and the robes of a sage followed masses of grunts, whose hoods of their white and blue knight uniform covered their hair.

"Please get to safety!" Sage Rood ushered, using a key to unlock the shackles on his arms and legs that previously rendered him immobile. "We've managed to release Anthea and Concordia. Please leave this to us." He stepped between N, still kneeling on the floor, and Ghetsis, who in his fury had begun his attack, letting his Pokemon block the attack.

N's supporters pulled out their Pokeballs, calling on their Pokemon to help in what would be a hard fight.

"Traitors!" Ghetsis yelled. "Stop them!" A black flash of Neo Plasma grunts surrounded the area, trying to block their exit. Zinzolin moved to give them their orders.

"But…" N was shocked in learning that he had supporters, to the point where the Pokeballs grasped in their hands escaped his notice for a moment. He had known that Ghetsis would have kept his, but not even the grunts. Had they not released their Pokemon yet? Could there still be hope?

A voice startled him out of his thoughts. 'You can barely stand, right? You won't be much help to them as you are now.'

In an attempt to disprove Reshiram's point, N tried to stand, but instead found himself unable to, grasping firmly onto the creature by his side.

"Lord N, please go! We'll be fine!" Sage Rood's words echoed through the room.

N took one last glance at the battle unfolding before him, but ultimately decided that he would be more of a burden in the current situation than anything else. If anything, he would probably slow down their later retreat. A white piece of cloth caught his eye. His followers faced off with the Neo grunts, evenly matched for the moment, but would be in trouble if reinforcements were called. At that moment, he had no choice but to leave, and collect a few items, if he could. This was not a battle he could win in his condition.

He tugged at Reshiram's wing, and the Pokemon helped him to climb onto its back. It knew that N didn't have much more strength left, and that his wounds, although non-fatal, were painful. It began to take off through the hole it had made upon descending.

"Reshiram, can you land in my room?" N asked. "I need to find something, or I may not have the chance to again."

* * *

"What happened?" Bianca exclaimed.

Touya shook his head, the shock taking all the words away from him.

"I doubt that they would do something like this purposely. The thing they would have wanted most at the moment would be to force everyone into submission through the execution. Something must have happened; possibly in our favour." Cheren frowned.

Once again, Touya felt the urge to leave the room. "I'm going out for a walk," he murmured. Thoughts were swirling around within his head, overlapping and confusing him. He needed some time to sort it out.

Cheren looked sharply at him, before nodding, this time accepting his decision. "… Be careful."

There was no reply as he strode out through the front door.

* * *

Touya trudged through the familiar landscape of the town, before entering the forest. He saw nothing, but at the same time he was aware of everything around him. The immediate change as light filtered into dim darkness was astounding, but the green shrubs and trees were a familiar sight to him as a place he and his Pokemon had used for training.

The trees in these parts were closely packed, and no one but a very small amount of trainers entered these parts, instead opting to take the official route from Nuvema to Accumula, Route 1.

On that particular afternoon, it was eerie, and nothing made a sound. There were no signs of the native Pokemon that had made this place their home. The dark colours of sunset filtered into the unsuspecting forest, bathing the greenery in crimson light that dulled the fresh leaves into a brown colour.

Touya continued deeper into the forest, his soft steps rustling the grass beneath his feet. He prayed that N would be alright. N had both been a source of conflicting views and a obstacle to face during his journey, but he had tried to listen to him, if not in understanding. He thought of his Pokemon, and the legendary dragon that had chosen him. Here he lost track of time, drowning in the vivid memories of recent times.

Stars appeared as the sky darkened little by little. A chilly breeze caused him to shiver, and he rubbed at his arms. He regretted not bringing his usual blue jacket.

It was then that he heard a crash as something landed between the dense trees.

* * *

"Reshiram, please descend here."

'Hold on tight.' The Pokemon followed N's request, flapping its wings to slow down its descent. Nevertheless, wings brushed against leaves and branches, and N's face, buried into Reshiram's fur, was the only part of him that was not jostled by the greenery around him.

So far, they had chosen to fly along the ocean, travelling well away from any towns or cities where they were in danger of being spotted, but to reach their destination they would need to enter an area far closer to civilisation. Although it was a place that few went to, flying with a legendary beast would attract attention if they were not careful.

It seemed that they had not been spotted. N relaxed his hold for a moment in his relief, and found himself slipping from the back of Reshiram.

* * *

Touya headed in the direction of the sound he had heard. In the otherwise silent forest, any noise was noticeable. There should have been no one else here, especially at this time of day. Could there be something sinister happening? He made sure to be out of sight as he approached, skirting around the area, finally settling behind a tree.

But what awaited him there was a completely unexpected sight. He was about to cry out, but some inexplicable feeling urged him to remain silent and watch the exchange between the boy and the Pokemon.

"Ow…" N hissed in pain. He slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, ignoring the aches and stinging pain in his body.

Reshiram's voice in its reply had a low fuzzy quality to it. It spoke in an exasperated tone. If Touya wasn't mistaken, it sounded something like, 'I told you so.' It seemed that even legendaries could act somewhat smug.

* * *

'What are you going to do now?' Reshiram asked.

N took a few seconds to consider its question, before replying, "I wish to stay here to find a few friends within this forest."

'Don't be so foolish. Most of the Pokemon were already been captured. Do you really think that any others are left?'

"I'm willing to take a chance on this. I don't believe that they would let themselves be caught so easily, without any knowledge of the situation." N turned his head to gaze directly up at Reshiram, ignoring the pain throbbing in his head.

'…I will leave this to you then.' Reshiram sighed, 'I can see that you are not going to be persuaded.'

N once again looked down, the look on his face considering. "Please, can you do me a favour?"

The Pokemon nodded. "What is it?" It was rare for N to request something from them in this manner; usually only counting on them to battle if it was absolutely unavoidable.

"Ask my team… if they'd be willing to fight with me." His goal had completely changed from what it had been before, and he wanted to know if they would still support him. Although N did not want to get them involved into something dangerous, they were the only ones he could count on at the moment. 'Please find a way for me to meet them if they do.' The words were communicated across.

Reshiram looked at him incredulously. 'Is that necessary?' It was about to retort, but one look at N's ashen face was enough to convince it not to. Now was not the time for arguing, but it couldn't leave his friend. 'At least allow me to stay until you arrive at where you need to go.' The Pokemon finally settled upon.

"Go before someone sees you… please…" he was tiring fast, "I'll call for you if I need your help." They had developed a connection on their journey, which had gone beyond N's usual ability of sensing Pokemon nearby. It was this that allowed them to speak at distance from each other.

In Reshiram's hesitation, it looked around its surroundings. It appeared to be satisfied with something as it took off into the distance, sending one final call towards N. 'I'll be back as soon as possible!' And it disappeared without another word.

N sagged as he felt the rest of his energy dissipate. He slumped forward, willing the pain to keep him awake. In that instance he felt what he felt was misplaced relief. There was no one watching him. At that moment, he had no need to be strong. His vision darkened and blurred, but not before he saw a figure crouch before him, grasping his hand.

"N… N! Are you okay?" A frantic voice poked at him, but rather than being piercing and causing him to become more alert, it seemed to soothe him.

N failed to reply as consciousness left him.

**Prologue 2 – End **

* * *

**Author's Note: **

Sorry about the mess of perspective switching that is the second prologue. Starting from the next chapter, it'll be more consistent. I think after this chapter, or after the next I'll need to take a break to reorganise my information.

I know most people would think of N as the Hero of Ideals. I used to think it suited him too, since the idea of liberating all Pokemon and creating separate worlds for human and Pokemon seems just like a dream that would be hard to achieve, but after really thinking hard about it, I started to feel that that wasn't the case. The reason N ended up making the decision to separate humans and Pokemon was because he was told that Pokemon suffer under the hands of humans. It is true in the regard that that no matter how good some trainers are to their Pokemon, there will always be people who take advantage of them, however few there are. However, N, believing these to be the majority, accepted this 'truth' and sought to help Pokemon through keeping them away from these humans. I think that his true ideal is for everyone to understand Pokemon and be able to live in harmony with them. In the manga, it was also shown that N's dream is a warm one of his childhood, living happily with the Pokemon. It seems as if he is fighting more against his ideal than for it, which I think would make Zekrom unable to choose him over the storyline in BW. But that's just a matter of opinion.


End file.
